


Color of Shadows

by Goldenfeather88



Series: The World of the Marked [2]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe, Culture Shock, Powered Cats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 14:33:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18875140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldenfeather88/pseuds/Goldenfeather88
Summary: When the kittens are curious about their new clanmate....Dreamweaver answers their questions.From Dreamweaver's point of view.





	Color of Shadows

**Color of Shadows**

“Oh… hello little ones! Are you curious about me? I know that I must be strange to you…”

“No, there is no need to worry! I don’t eat kittens! Why would you think that?”

“Now, please, there is no need for that! She is correct in being wary… Danger can come from any place and from anyone… Now, what are your names?”

“Cinderkit… Brightkit… Thornkit… and Brackenkit, correct? What strange names… Then again, I have little to no understanding of clan life…”

“What is my name? I’m called Dreamweaver…”

“That is true Brackenkit! My name would be strange compared to your, but it was the name given to me!”

“Oh, what is that, Thornkit? Why did I refused to change my name? Well… How do I put this so you can understand… Michael, the tom that died to save Firepaw, was my father, and he was the one that gave me my name so long ago…”

“Oh? Me and Firepaw don’t look anything alike? Well, in this case, that is to be expected… As Michael was my adopted father. He ended up bringing to the…”

“What was that Cinderkit? Why did Michael adopt me? Well… In order to answer that question, I would have to tell you a story about my early days…”

“Ah, hello! I’m sorry but I don’t remember your name… But your kits are not being any trouble!”

“How did I know that they were your kits? Well, you have a milk scent, so I can guess that you have kits or are going to have kits, and the kits around me smell very similar to you…”

“There is no need to the worried… I promise on my honor as a Knight that I will do no harm to these innocents! And no, I don’t mind the questions! If you don’t ask questions, you will never learn…”

“Why do have fur that covers one eye? Well… Let’s just say that is not something that should be seen by those as young as you… Besides, you would find out that it doesn’t impact my vision as much as you think it does…”

“Oh? Eager, aren’t we? Fine… I will tell you my story…”

“I was born into a twoleg den to my mother. Surprised? Yes… My mother was a kittypet. In fact, that is very common in the Knights. We treat each other as brother and sister in arms: we train together, we fight together… So, it is seen as very strange to become mates with someone else in the Knights. In fact, our Lord encourages us to find outsiders that accepted us as our lovers…”

“Why? For the health of the next generation… And it is sick to think of someone like a brother or sister as someone to love in that way…”

“That way? Er… That is not something that I am comfortable talking with you little ones about… That is _not_ my job, and you will learn about that when you are older.”

“Thornkit! Ouch! Please be careful! My tail is no toy!”

“Anyways… I remember having littermates… Through I cannot remember their scents nor gender… I do remember the sense of safety, warmth, and love for those few happy weeks… While my birth father wasn’t around much, he did come by to see us. Together, my parents combined purr made us happy…”

“What happened? Did something happen? Yes, they did… Those happy times did not last for long… My mother found out my father’s secret.”

“What was my father’s secret, you ask, Brightkit? See… He was a member of the Shifters.”

“How did she find out? Good question, Brackenkit! I see that though young, you are thoughtful for your age. That is a good quality to have. Now, back on track… I am going to have to let you try and guess.”

“Was it because he was Star-blessed? Er… Are you talking about the Marked, Thornkit? As he had a power? No, but was the cause of my mother’s anger…”

“Oh! Now I understand, thank you for telling me…. Er, what is your name, young kit?”

“Woodkit? You know… You don’t have to be scared. I don’t bite. You are welcome to join in: I don’t mind. Also please tell your brother to stop sneering. If I can respect your culture, then he can respect mine.”

“He was a murderer? No… I am sure that he was not a murderer, Brightkit. You will see what I mean when I continue with my story.”

“He got into some catmint? Now, Cinderkit, that would be a silly reason to hate someone! That could happen to anyone!”

“It has something to with my name? You are so close Woodkit, but…”

“That is right Brackenkit! I had stated that Michael gave me my name! Before that… I was nameless! While they act mostly like rogues, there is one rule that is agreed on by all. That no Shifter nor their family shall name their own kits. Those kits, if they happen to not get a name from a friend, will go out into the world and try to get a stranger give them a name. Whatever that name happened to be, that would become their name.”

“What happens if they get a bad name? Well… They are stuck with it. And… No matter what, do not make fun of a Shifters’ name. That is the one thing that will upset any Shifter…”

“What was that Woodkit? Would I name my own kits? No… I may be a Knight, but that is the things with any Shifter… It would feel… wrong to me. And I would have to find a mate that would understand that fact… Also, I would have to consider the clan’s traditions for names too. I… will have to think about it…”

“Could you name a Shifter? Yes, Cinderkit, you could! As you have only minor blood relationship with any Shifter, that would be acceptable… However, the chances of you seeing one is not high… Shifters know better than to interact with clan cats. Too many of them have been attacked over the years…”

“Now, back to my story… Mother wanted to name us, yet Father refused every time. She was starting to get furious with Father, saying that we deserved names and what was she going to tell her family. Then… Well, I don’t completely remember what happened next… But… There was pain… That caused me to open my eyes for the first time…”

“What happened, Thornkit? Well, someone stuck me across one eye. I cried out as blood flowed down that cheek. Then, there was snarls as I felt someone pick me and carry me away from the scene… It seemed like forever as I mewed out in pain… Then, I was set somewhere damp and shaded, with the faint scent of something cool. A nose was pressed to my forehead before that warmth disappeared forever… After that, I never smelt nor heard from my birth father again.”

“Little ones, just promise me this. Treasure the time that you have now, because you could lose it at any moment. To be honest, based on the amount of blood that I had smelt, it is not likely that any of my littermates survived… And please, do not take any kittypet, loner, nor rogue lightly. If they feel like you are a threat to their safety, they will gather their family and friends and take you down.”

“Thank you Cinderkit… And young tom, _stop_ sneering at me! Outside of your clan, that type of attitude will get you killed!”

“Now, I had sat where I had been placed for who knows for how long. I was hurt, confused, alone. I didn’t understand what had went on… Or why I was left alone in the cold… Then, they appeared like a breath of fresh air... I had heard the sound of their pawsteps and became frightened.”

“Why was I frightened? Young tom, I had just been abandoned… There would have been no way that I could think clearly.”

“Lucky, Michael was the first one that found me. He talked to me like he cared, got me to trust him… I then met the rest of his patrol.”

“Was there anyone else with the patrol? To answer your question, Brackenkit, yes, there were others! There was the wise and powerful Inigo, the kind and motherly Lexia, the bold yet friendly Page Badger, and the local asshole Fawkes. Oh… Ooooppss, I shouldn’t have said that… Er… Are your mothers giving me dirty looks?”

“Yes… Well, that just great…  Anyways… What is a Page, you ask Brightkit? Well, the best way to describe a Page is that they are like your apprentices: cats that are in-training to become Knights. They are learning the rules of the Knights while being trained to fight and protect… And how to handle the normal cats… Which is important especially if that happen to have a power…”

“Young tom, _get over here!_ Your precious StarClan is not all powerful! In fact… well, that is a story for another time… But you clan cats? Not the only group that are known for having cats with powers…”

“Fine, believe what you will… But you _will_ regret that if you were ever to meet the crazy cat cult…”

“Let me put like this… If you see a cat with white eyes… _Run!_ ”

“Ah thank you, Brightkit, Brackenkit! I have gotten off topic! After a bit of fighting, with Fawkes just not wanting to take in some rogue kit, I was taken back to the main base for the Knights.”

“Oh, when did I get my name? And why is my name Dreamweaver? The answer to the first question is… On the way there!”

“We were resting up somewhere cool, yet somewhere we could still feel the warmth of the sun. Fawkes and Lexia were standing guard while Badger and I chatted. The Michael asked for my name…  I told him that didn’t have one.”

“What happened next? I was told that Michael developed a thoughtful look on his face… And looked at the Mark on my chest…”

“‘You know, that Mark… It looks like something from across the seas…’ Michael had stated. ‘Now what was it called… Dream… Dreamw… A Dreamweaver!’”

“Across the seas? Oh you poor curious child! I guess that is what happens when you are not allowed to leave the territory that you were born in… Once again, that is a story for another time but…”

“What was that, Thornkit? Have I seen the sea? Honestly… No, I have not nor will I ever. However, I have smelt it… The mixture of salt, fish and seaweed is unlike anything else…”

“Prove it? I do _not_ make things up, you little fiend! I have not fed you any lies!”

“What Mark was Michael talking about? Let me show you… Just move my metal a bit and you should see it…”

“It looks like a circular spider web with feathers hanging off? Well, to tell you the truth… That is what I have heard but… I will never see it!”

“Why Woodkit? Well… I have never seen any colors. Everything is the color of shadows. All is darkness.”

“That is right Cinderkit… I’m blind. I always have been and will always be.”

“Brackenkit, I don’t need pity… It may have taken me longer to fight, but fight I always will. And…There is an old twoleg saying… With great power comes great responsibility.”

“What do I mean by that? You will see, little one… But you will find out that having powers isn’t all fun and games. There is always a cost.”

“Now... Here is the funny thing about my name… The thing that Michael was describing… It wasn’t a dreamweaver… It is called a dreamcatcher!”

“What is a dreamcatcher. Brightkit? Well… Since it is something from across the seas, I don’t completely understand it myself… But it a twoleg item that is supposed to catch the bad dreams, letting just the good dreams go by. It is supposed to look like a spider’s webs.”

“Now, your mothers are calling you. Have a good day and if you want to know more… I am always willing to talk… After all, the path to understanding starts by listening to each other…”

“Don’t worry Cinderkit… I understand that the clans don’t like me, Firepaw, nor Spiderpaw… And to be honest, little one, I haven’t seen anything that makes me like the clans… But… I have to protect Firepaw, no matter what. Michael gave his life to protect him, and I’m not about to let that go to waste. However… It is you young cats that give me hope that things could change…”

“Cinderkit, I shouldn’t be telling you this… But… Bad things are coming… Cats outside of your clans have been going missing… And, for once, it isn’t the crazy cat cult. Everyone is worried… Darkness is coming…”

“Oh? You want to learn more about the Knights? Don’t worry Cinderkit… Anytime you want to know anything, as long as it is something that doesn’t go into adult stuff, and if I am not busy, then I will share some new story with you. Now… Run along and enjoy yourself. You will not be a kit forever.”


End file.
